Coin holder and counting device

ABSTRACT

A coin receiving and holding board including an array of indicator segments pivotably mounted adjacent the coinholding groove, such segments being manueverable to contact the coins as may be stacked in such groove and thus provide positive, immediate, and error-free designation of the total value of the coins in the stack.

United States Patent [191 Honesto COIN HOLDER AND COUNTING DEVICE [76]Inventor: Elias Honesto, 128 Park Avenue, Apt. 3, San Francisco, Calif.941 18 [22] Filed: June 21, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 154,728

[ 11] 3,741,222 June 26, 1973 Primary Examiner-Samuel F. ColemanAttorney-Manfred M. Warren, Herbert Rubin et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A coin receiving and holding board including an array ofindicator segments pivotably mounted adjacent the coin-holding groove,such segments being manueverable to contact the coins as may be stackedin such groove and thus provide positive, immediate, and error-freedesignation of the total value of the coins in the stack. a

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 28 3 50 I 28' 52W 20.00 60 30 1|. n 24 1: I;)6

i i i I AL H l'i i i 3 1 r- 1 -T I 40 {u 111 V 2 42 1 64 11/1932 Germany133/8 R PATENIED JIJIIZS I918 FIG. 4

INVENTOR. ELIAS HONESTO ATTORNEYS COIN HOLDER AND COUNTING DEVICE Thisinvention relates to coin counters and more specifically to one in whichcoins may be quickly and easily stacked in grooves on a board and theamount thereof immediately determined, and thereafter quickly and easilyremoved for wrapping, storing, or other handling.

It is known to provide coin changers and the like which receive andstore coins in stacks and make them readily accessible for dispensing aschange. Some prior art devices of this general description alsoincorporate visual aids to determine the amounts of such coinage. See,for example, the U. S. Patents to G. A. Mesthos and E. E. Ihrig et al,respectively, U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,148 patented June 11, 1963; and U.S.Pat. No. 1,475,829 patented Nov. 27, 1923. Also, grooved boards for thispurpose are known, see, for example, the U. S. Pat. No. 518,948 toHayden patented May 1, 1894.

However, all of the foregoing devices which are characteristic of theprior art with which I am familiar, employ visual aids for determiningthe amount of coinage accumulated which are generally difficult to readaccurately, particularly when the chore of counting change occurs at theend of a shift, such as in bar tending, and late at night, when the useris tired and apt to make visual or counting errors.

Thus it is an objectof the present invention to provide a device forreceiving and stacking coins and disclosing the value of the stack ofcoins rapidly and accurately.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a coin counter whichmay be easily and conveniently placed on a counter within easy reach ofthe user, and which provides coin stacks which may be convenientlyremoved for wrapping or other subsequent handling.

A feature and advantage of this invention is that the device thereof maybe relatively economically produced and efficiently utilized in that itinvolves few parts and is relatively simple to operate.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will beapparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of thespecification which follows and by referring to the accompanying drawingwherein FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one version of a coin boardembodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the device embracing myinvention, including an indication of a typical users hand in positionfor typical counting operatron; 7

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1, I show a board 12 for receiving and holding aplurality of coins such as the stack 14 (FIG. 2), each such stack beingof a particular denomination or coin type, such as pennies, nickles,dimes, quarters, half dollars,-and the like. Thus, each stack of coinsof a given coin type is received in a different one of several grooves16-24 each of whose cross-section is slightly larger than at least aportion of the circular cross section of the coin type to be receivedand stacked in that groove. This relationship is best seen in thesectional view of FIG. 3.

In order to facilitate the placement and removal of coins from thedevice of my invention, the grooves, of which groove 22 best seen inFIG. 3 is typical, are each formed so as to define in cross section justless than half the coin; thus, the coin stack may be removed from thegroove with a minimum of difficulty. Such handling is furtherfacilitated by finger detents 26, 28 formed in the board proximate eachend of the several grooves and in passage communication therewith vianeck openings30, 32. Thus, when a stack of coins received in a givengroove are desired to be removed, all the user has to do is grasp eachend of the stack by insertion of the index and thumb fingers intodetents 28, .30; bear down on the coins through such contact; and removethe stack. Obviously, if a stack is less than the full height of thegroove, one can reach into the groove directly to grasp the upper end ofthe stack, and use the lower detent to engage the bottom coin of thestack.

It is a particular feature of my invention that my device may be usednot only to receive and stack coins of a given coin type a relativelysimple mechanical expedient known in accordance with prior art devices Ihave cited at the beginning of this specification but as a beneficialfeature the valve of the coin stack may be quickly and easily discernedby means of the novel indicator means 34-42 mounted, respectivelyadjacent to each of grooves 16-24 for measuring the height of a stack ofcoins in anyone of such grooves.

More specifically, such means comprise a plurality of indicator segments34 (FIG. 2) pivotably mounted for rotation about an axis 44 parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the adjacent groove, in FIG. 2 that of groove16. (It should be noted that while the description of the specificationhere is with reference to a particular plurality of indicator segments34 adjacent to groove 16, such description is typical and may beappliedto each of similar indicator segments 36-42 adjacent,respectively, to grooves 18-24 pivotably mounted about axis 46-52,respectively.)

Each of segments 34, i.e. individual segment plates 34a, 34b, 340, etc.,are located and so shaped as to registrably engage at least some of thecoins 14 previously received and stacked in groove 16, when suchsegments are rotatably manuevered, as by the users finger A, about axis44 toward groove 16.

Segments 34a, 34b, 34c, etc., are preferrably fabricated of a material,such as plastic, wood, metal, or the like, having a thickness equal tothe thickness of the coin type whose stack height, and hence value, isto be measured. In the case of groove 16 such coin type may be pennies,for example. The segments are themselves stackably assembled forpivotable movement upon rod 54 which is conventionally secured at itstop and bottom extremities by means of bracket plates 56 and 58,respectively, the latter being secured as by suitable adhesive or otherconventional fasteners to board 12, the same being shown in somewhatgreater detail with reference to indicator segments 40 and groove 22 inFIGS. 3 and 4.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2-4, segments 34a, 34b, 340, etc., when rotatedso as to contact a stack of coins, the segments engage the stacked coinsin edge-to-edge contact. As a consequence, when the segments are thusregistrably engaged with the coin stack, the number of segments engagedequals the number of coins in the stack. Then, by the simple expedientof marking each of the segment plates with the accumulated value of thecoin type stack from and below that plate, for example,

the $23" mark 66 in FIG. 2, the value of the coinage in such stack isimmediately disclosed to the user in a manner which is error free andvirtually effortless to utilize.

It should be noted that my invention preferrably includes the particularindicator segment design and relationshipto proximate coin groove shownin somewhat greater detail at FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, each of thesegment plates, typified by the upper most plate 68 is shaped to form aplanar profile best described as a circular plate portion 70 havingtangential arm 72 integral therewith. The length of the arm is selectedto contact a coin 74 previously received and held in stackedrelationship in groove 22. The elevation of coin 74 is established bythe coins stacked therebeneath and is coincident to the elevation ofsegment 68 because all of the segments are of the same thickness as thecoins whose stack they measure and are mounted on bracket 64 whosesupport surface elevation is the same as the bottom surface of theadjacent-coin groove 22. The entire array of indicator arms above andbelow segment 68 are themselves pivotably and snugly mounted withingroove 76, thedepth thereof and its distance from the adjacent coinreceiving groove being selected to position the segments in thefollowing manner: when a particular segment isrotated about axis 50 onrod 60 so as to contact the last of the coins in a stack, the segmentsabove that segment which will not contact any coins may rotate stillfurther, so that the arm portion thereof will not visually obstruct thearm of the segment last in contact with the coin stack. In this manner,I achieved one of the salutary features of my invention, namely of acoin counting segment and an immediate, error-free reading of theaccumulated coin stack value which may be marked thereon. Obviously, theforegoing detailed description in reference to FIGS. 3- and 4 isapplicable to similar indicator segments and associated coin groovesshown in FIGS. 1 and 2; but, in the interest of brevity and clarity, arenot needlessly repeated herein.

Again, with reference to FIG. 1, I have found it most useful andconvenient to provide board 12 with an array of coin grooves 16-24 aspreviously mentioned. Eachof the several coin grooves are adaptedtoreceive and hold different coin types, the primary difference betweenthe groove shapes being merely to provide cross sections correspondingto the particular coin size,

i.e. pennies, nickels, etc. Also, for more convenience in use I markeach of the coin grooves at the bottom thereof with the coin type to bereceived therein; and the region over the top'of the groove with thetotal amount of such coin stack, if the groove is filled completely withthe designated coinage. I have also found it preferable to provide theboard embodying my invention with stand feet -84 which support the boardupright but at a slight slanting back angle to facilitate the holding ofthe various coins in a stable manner. The board may be fabricated ofattractive wood, metal, plastic or other suitable materials; anddimensioned to fit neatly and conveniently on a counter at or near abar, newsvendor stand, or other place of business where such device maybe beneficially employed.

I claim:

1; A device for receiving and holding a plurality of coins in stackedrelationship, and determining the total value of such stack of coins,comprising:

a board;

a groove in said board formed to receive said stack of coins, saidgroove having a cross-section slightly larger than the cross-section ofthe coin types to be received;

indicator means mounted adjacent to said groove for measuring the heightof said stack of coins in the groove proximate thereto;

said means including a plurality of indicator segments pivotably mountedfor rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidgroove;

said indicator segments each comprise a flat plate having a thicknessequal to the thickness of the coin type whosestack height is to bemeasured, said segments being rotatably mounted to engage the stackedcoins in edge-to-edge' contact, so that when the segments areregistrably engaged with a coin stack, the number of segments engagedequals the number of coins in the stack.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein further each flatplate has marked thereon the accumulated value of the coin type stackbelow last said flat plate, so that the height of the stack is disclosedto the user as the value thereof designated on the flat plate that thelast coin in stack registrably engages in edge to edge contact.

1. A device for receiving and holding a plurality of coins in stackedrelationship, and determining the total value of such stack of coins,comprising: a board; a groove in said board formed to receive said stackof coins, said groove having a cross-section slightly larger than thecross-section of the coin types to be received; indicator means mountedadjacent to said groove for measuring the height of said stack of coinsin the groove proximate thereto; said means including a plurality ofindicator segments pivotably mounted for rotation about an axis parallelto the longitudinal axis of said groove; said indicator segments eachcomprise a flat plate having a thickness equal to the thickness of thecoin type whose stack height is to be measured, said segments beingrotatably mounted to engage the stacked coins in edge-to-edge contact,so that when the segments are registrably engaged with a coin stack, thenumber of segments engaged equals the number of coins in the stack. 2.The device in accordance with claim 1 and wherein further each flatplate hAs marked thereon the accumulated value of the coin type stackbelow last said flat plate, so that the height of the stack is disclosedto the user as the value thereof designated on the flat plate that thelast coin in stack registrably engages in edge to edge contact.